Something that everyone ignores is that the Bears are kind of deep at 3 technique right now. Houston, Ratliff, Collins...even paea is probably better off there than at the nose where they've been playing him. Meanwhile, safety and corner are scary thin/bad. Nose tackle is also thin. It's just Paea, and at his very tip-top best, he's been average...but often worse.

-There's only one NFL safety on the roster and that's the more-or-less league average Mundy, who they've already said will be probably end up at SS.

-Only two corners with any level of talent on the roster. One is very old, coming off of an injury, and looked terrible before the injury. In this division, that's a death sentence. If Charles Tillman 2014 isn't Charles Tillman 2012, then Kelvin Hayden is going to be covering some of the NFL's top receivers. Scary stuff.

I think the Bears have a big board that looks like this going into the first round:
1. Clowney
2. Clinton-Dix
3. Dennard
4. Fuller
5. Nix

Top two are gone...Dennard it is. Of course, Donald will win this poll in a landslide. Draftnik groupthink decided he was the pick before free agency even started. I love the kid, but there are enormous holes to fill and he doesn't help with that.

Something that everyone ignores is that the Bears are kind of deep at 3 technique right now. Houston, Ratliff, Collins...even paea is probably better off there than at the nose where they've been playing him. Meanwhile, safety and corner are scary thin/bad. Nose tackle is also thin. It's just Paea, and at his very tip-top best, he's been average...but often worse.

-There's only one NFL safety on the roster and that's the more-or-less league average Mundy, who they've already said will be probably end up at SS.

-Only two corners with any level of talent on the roster. One is very old, coming off of an injury, and looked terrible before the injury. In this division, that's a death sentence. If Charles Tillman 2014 isn't Charles Tillman 2012, then Kelvin Hayden is going to be covering some of the NFL's top receivers. Scary stuff.

I think the Bears have a big board that looks like this going into the first round:
1. Clowney
2. Clinton-Dix
3. Dennard
4. Fuller
5. Nix

Top two are gone...Dennard it is. Of course, Donald will win this poll in a landslide. Draftnik groupthink decided he was the pick before free agency even started. I love the kid, but there are enormous holes to fill and he doesn't help with that.

Houston is our LE. Ratliff is a NT and should be that. Even if he plays DT he's older and an injury risk. Paea injury risk and inconsistent. Collins is the worst player in the NFL. Donald is WAY to talented to pass up. If Donald is there we shouldnt even consider another player.

Houston is our LE. Ratliff is a NT and should be that. Even if he plays DT he's older and an injury risk. Paea injury risk and inconsistent. Collins is the worst player in the NFL. Donald is WAY to talented to pass up. If Donald is there we shouldnt even consider another player.

Houston has been a better 3 tech than end both in college and the NFL. Right now we've got two ends besides him who deserve serious snaps. You'll be seeing the man get a lot of reps inside.

Ratliff played the nose in Dallas, but it was a one gap. For his entire career, he's been more of an attacker than a space eater. This offseason, quotes from the Bears have him at the 3 tech spot, not the nose.

Collins has been above average for his entire time with the Bears. In the short time before he got hurt last season, he was our best D lineman and the second-best player on the entire defense. He was better than last season's pre-injury Melton. Calling him the worst player in the NFL seems rather mean and completely unfounded.

It looks like there's a very good chance that the team has no defensive backfield, man. It could very well be basically just Tiny Tim Jennings running around back there alone with guys who are fringe backups or 3rd stringers on most teams. Megatron, Jordyzzz, Tate, Bush, Cobb, Stafford, and Rodgers are in this division.

Houston has been a better 3 tech than end both in college and the NFL. Right now we've got two ends besides him who deserve serious snaps. You'll be seeing the man get a lot of reps inside.

Ratliff played the nose in Dallas, but it was a one gap. For his entire career, he's been more of an attacker than a space eater. This offseason, quotes from the Bears have him at the 3 tech spot, not the nose.

Collins has been above average for his entire time with the Bears. In the short time before he got hurt last season, he was our best D lineman and the second-best player on the entire defense. He was better than last season's pre-injury Melton. Calling him the worst player in the NFL seems rather mean and completely unfounded.

It looks like there's a very good chance that the team has no defensive backfield, man. It could very well be basically just Tiny Tim Jennings running around back there alone with guys who are fringe backups or 3rd stringers on most teams. Megatron, Jordyzzz, Tate, Bush, Cobb, Stafford, and Rodgers are in this division.

Nate Collins is horrible. He was sitting in FA for how long without a single offer. No one wants him. We signed him for a dollar over the min with no guarantee. He's not even going to make our roster, he's a camp body. That leaves Ratliff and Paea as the only DTs we have on our roster. There's no quotes from the Bears that say Ratliff is playing DT or at least there's no quotes that you should believe before the draft. Houston is playing LE and will move inside only as a pass rusher. We have Tillman and Jennings who are both great CBs and Frey who played well at nickel. We need a potential starter at CB. We need a day one starter at DT. Donald is also a top tier talent. You cant pass on the best player available at your biggest position of need to bring in a year one backup who hopefully won't see the field.

Something that everyone ignores is that the Bears are kind of deep at 3 technique right now. Houston, Ratliff, Collins...even paea is probably better off there than at the nose where they've been playing him. Meanwhile, safety and corner are scary thin/bad. Nose tackle is also thin. It's just Paea, and at his very tip-top best, he's been average...but often worse.

-There's only one NFL safety on the roster and that's the more-or-less league average Mundy, who they've already said will be probably end up at SS.

-Only two corners with any level of talent on the roster. One is very old, coming off of an injury, and looked terrible before the injury. In this division, that's a death sentence. If Charles Tillman 2014 isn't Charles Tillman 2012, then Kelvin Hayden is going to be covering some of the NFL's top receivers. Scary stuff.

I think the Bears have a big board that looks like this going into the first round:
1. Clowney
2. Clinton-Dix
3. Dennard
4. Fuller
5. Nix

Top two are gone...Dennard it is. Of course, Donald will win this poll in a landslide. Draftnik groupthink decided he was the pick before free agency even started. I love the kid, but there are enormous holes to fill and he doesn't help with that.

Aaron Donald to the Bears is by far the most mysterious pick-that-I-see-everywhere (couldn't think of a better word) this year.

Edit: I see ChiFan agrees. Aaron Donald to the Bears is not happening, people.

I'm with Mono on this train of thought. I'm not quite as familiar with who the Bears have been focusing on, but I don't think the Donald pick is the slam dunk everyone thinks he is. Houston will kick to 3 tech on third downs and the ends will be some combination of Willie Young/Jared Allen/ideally Shea McClellin putting his hand in the dirt LEO style. Ratliff will also be on the field in a gap penetrating capacity more often than not. I won't complain if we add Donald, but the tea leaves have been taking me towards Fuller. That's my vote, with Dennard and Pryor also making plenty of sense.

Not in the first. They only problem area is right tackle, and nobody ever seems to acknowledge the possibility that Jordan Mills isn't a future starter. I can't envision any scenario where the pick isn't defense.

Outside of Clowney he has the most potential to be a dominant player and Phil Emery values physical upside. Emery has shown that he will trust his coaches to take a freak [Long] and make a football player.

I would not be shocked if Donald and Clinton-Dix were available if Hageman was the pick.

I don't know why anyone would use Nate Collins, Jay Ratliff, and Stephen Paea as a rationale for not selecting Aaron Donald.

It may not be a need, but it appears to be about as close to one as can be, and Aaron Donald could very well be the best defender on the board. For a franchise that doesn't have a lot of high end young talent on defense, the best defensive player pretty much anywhere would represent an upgrade.

It's absolutely a need. Donald would probably help the defense. I just don't understand spending a first round pick on him when the secondary is equally ******, and we just paid a guy 35 mill or whatever it was to rush the passer from that spot half the time. I don't see it as a good use of resources. And judging by the players the Bears have brought in, they seem to agree.

Also, regoob literally called Nate Collins the worst player in the NFL. You don't need PFF to know that's an idiotic statement. Collins was pretty solid before he got hurt.